Results tagged ‘ Twins ’

Game 32: Angels-Twins …

The Angels will look to finally get a run for poor Ervin Santana. They’ve been shutout in each of his last five starts, making him the first pitcher since at least 1974 to suffer such fate, according to STATS LLC …

Angels (13-18)

Mike Trout, CF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Albert Pujols, 1B
Kendrys Morales, DH
Torii Hunter, RF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Vernon Wells, LF
Erick Aybar, SS
Bobby Wilson, C

Pitching: RH Santana (0-6, 5.59 ERA)

Twins (8-21)

Denard Span, CF
Brian Dozier, SS
Joe Mauer, 1B
Josh Willingham, LF
Ryan Doumit, DH
Danny Valencia, 3B
Erik Komatsu, RF
Drew Butera, C
Jamey Carroll, 2B

Pitching: RH Carl Pavano (2-2, 4.62 ERA)

Some pregame notes …

  • Scott Downs (left knee) is available today as closer, manager Mike Scioscia said.
  • Dan Haren said his lower back was feeling a little better today, after he struggled with it during last night’s start. He doesn’t expect to miss a start, as he said Tuesday night, but will take it easy today. The off day surely helps.
  • Scioscia on David Pauley, who had four shutout innings out of the bullpen on Tuesday: “It was very impressive. And I think what was more impressive was that he got into his game and you saw him pitch a little more, as his outing went on, he really pitched well. He threw some pretty good breaking balls, he’s got a good changeup and sinker, and I think the last couple innings, it was really reminiscent of what we saw him do in Seattle.”
  • The seven shutout through 31 games not only leads the Majors. It’s the most the Angels have ever had that early in a season. “I don’t know if there’s going to be a reason for everything, but it’s just that seven times this year we haven’t gotten it done like we need to,” Scioscia simply said.
  • Peter Bourjos has now started just twice in his last 11 games. More on that later.

Some Angels links from Tuesday …

Some AL West links …

And the Heat look to finish off the Knicks tonight.

– Alden

Question of the Day, 5/8 …

Do you think the constant lineup changes are having an effect on the offense? — Josh B., Huntington Beach

I think, to some extent, they might be. Mike Scioscia has now trotted out 28 different lineups through the season’s first 31 games, which leads the American League. In fact, the third-place team on that list, the Blue Jays, hasn’t even had 20 different batting orders (the A’s are second, with 25 heading into Tuesday). The middle of the order has been pretty consistent, with Albert Pujols, Kendrys Morales (against righties) and Torii Hunter making up that group. But Howie Kendrick is gone from the 2 spot, Erick Aybar no longer bats leadoff, Peter Bourjos hardly plays and, of course, Mark Trumbo has bounced around.

How much that affects the hitters? It’s tough to say. I will say guys know this coming in — that’s just how it is around here — and it’s hard for a manager to be consistent with a lineup when he isn’t getting consistency back from his own hitters. But ballplayers are creatures of habit. (channeling my inner Crash Davis here) They believe in routine, they believe in momentum and they believe in not messing with a hitting streak. Maicer Izturis was on base three times Monday, and he sat today. Mike Trout had three extra-base hits and two RBIs on Saturday and Sunday, and he sat Monday. And Morales was hitting .406 over an eight-game stretch, but has sat two days in a row with the Twins trotting out back-to-back lefties.

But, again, if I were to tell you how much the constant changes affects an offense, I would be guessing.

– Alden

Game 31: Angels-Twins …

It didn’t look very promising earlier, but the skies have opened up, the rain is gone and the field is dry. Looks like we’ll get this game in no problem (fingers crossed) …

Angels (13-17)

Mike Trout, CF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Albert Pujols, 1B
Torii Hunter, RF
Mark Trumbo, DH
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Vernon Wells, LF
Erick Aybar, SS
Chris Iannetta, C

Pitching: RH Dan Haren (1-2, 3.43 ERA)

Twins (7-21)

Erik Komatsu, CF
Brian Dozier, SS
Joe Mauer, 1B
Josh Willingham, LF
Ryan Doumit, DH
Danny Valencia, 3B
Trevor Plouffe, RF
Drew Butera, C
Jamey Carroll, 2B

Pitching: LH Scott Diamond

Some pregame notes …

  • Scott Downs says he feels “very lucky,” after finding out that he only has a bruise in the back of his left knee and won’t have to go on the disabled list. Mike Scioscia said he could be available — as his closer — today or tomorrow. Huge sigh of relief for a bullpen that came in with the second-highest ERA in baseball.
  • The rotation for the Texas series is official, with C.J. Wilson getting the start in the opener on Friday, opposite Yu Darvish — the man the Rangers essentially chose to spend their money on instead. The staff had been throwing so well collectively (2.26 ERA in the last 17 games) that he didn’t want to change anything. Jerome Williams and Jered Weaver will follow.
  • Jered Weaver got his wish. He got to do David Letterman‘s Top 10 today. He was up here near the press box for about 30 minutes taping it. The subject was: “Top 10 Signs You’ll Never Throw A No-Hitter.” No. 1 was supposed to be: Because you play for the New York Mets.” But they changed it. For a sneak peek, click here.
  • Kendrys Morales is fine health-wise, by the way. Not in the lineup for a second straight day due to back-to-back opposing lefty starters. I’ll have more on that later.

Some Angels links from Monday …

Some AL West links …

And the Heat are kicking themselves for not closing out the Knicks in four. They should.

-- Alden

Game 30: Twins-Angels …

This is not a re-run. The Angels really are playing the Twins again. Promise. …

Angels (12-17)

Maicer Izturis, SS
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Albert Pujols, 1B
Torii Hunter, RF
Mark Trumbo, DH
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Vernon Wells, LF
Chris Iannetta, C
Peter Bourjos, CF

Pitching: RH Jered Weaver (4-0, 1.61 ERA)

Twins (7-20)

Denard Span, CF
Brian Dozier, SS
Joe Mauer, C
Ryan Doumit, DH
Danny Valencia, 3B
Chris Parmelee, 1B
Trevor Plouffe, RF
Erik Komatsu, LF
Jamey Carroll, 2B

Pitching: LH Francisco Liriano (0-4, 9.97 ERA)

Some pregame notes …

  • LaTroy Hawkins (broken pinkie finger suffered while fielding game-ending comebacker) was placed on the disabled list, with veteran right-hander David Pauley (signed to a Minor League deal in late March) getting called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to take his place. The usual recovery time from a broken pinkie is roughly 4-6 weeks, but the Angels will re-evaluate Hawkins in two weeks to see where he’s at.
  • The Angels are hopeful Scott Downs will avoid a DL stint, after suffering a bruise on the back of his left knee while trying to get out of the way of a comebacker. Downs will rejoin the team today, but there’s still no telling when he’ll rejoin the pitcher’s mound.
  • Until Downs returns, manager Mike Scioscia said the ninth inning will be done “a little bit by committee,” with Ernesto Frieri and Jordan Walden both getting looks back there.
  • Weaver was named American League Player of the Week (surprisingly for the first time in his career) for his no-hitter on Wednesday night.
  • Scioscia, on eventually giving Kendrys Morales more at-bats against opposing lefties (3-for-13 against them this year): “The schedule gives you some built-in looks to give him a little time off to make sure that he’s staying fresh. He’s played a stretch of games and he’s come out of it fine. We definitely want him to get some looks against lefties also; it’s just a matter of where our pieces can fit.”
  • Pauley, a 28-year-old with a good sinker, posted a 2.15 ERA in 39 games for the Mariners last year, but a 5.95 ERA in 14 games for the Tigers. Pauley had another Minor League deal from the Blue Jays, but chose the Angels because “there was an opportunity to come and play, and that’s all I really wanted.”

Angels links from Sunday …

Some AL West links …

And the Heat failed to close out the Knicks on Sunday.

– Alden

Reliving history: A look back at Jered’s no-no …

Yeah, it came against the Twins, who were shutout by Jerome Williams the night before, are missing Justin Morneau and are (record-wise) the worst team in baseball. But still. You have to be so dominant, and so much has to go right, in order to throw a no-hitter, and Jered Weaver had it all working on Wednesday night. It wasn’t just that he didn’t allow a hit. It was that nobody really came close and that he almost had a perfect game — if Chris Iannetta had held on to that second-inning strikeout, and if Josh Willingham’s bat had gone another inch forward on a strike-two half-swing in the seventh. 

Before we jump to the series opener against the Blue Jays, here’s a look back at last night … 

Weaver’s stuff

Weaver: ”I wasn’t throwing 97 or 98 up there. It was pretty much the same poo-poo I’ve been throwing there all year. A lot of things have to go your way, and it happened tonight.”

Mike Scioscia: “He was just relentless with just repeating pitches. He was focused on just making pitches all the way through. Changed speeds well, pitched inside well. It was a terrific game.”

Howie Kendrick: ”If you see his pitches, they’re either just off the plate or right there on the corner. That’s what makes him so special. He’s very deceptive with that delivery, kind of throws from across his body, and tonight, he was hitting those spots, getting guys looking on that front-door two-seamer, changeup was good, he was throwing his curveball for a strike, and I think those are things you need to do to win games and throw no-hitters.”

Denard Span: “He was doing everything. He kept us off-balance. He changed speeds. He’s definitely a different pitcher when he’s at home with the ball coming out of those rocks in center field. He had everything going tonight. So you have to tip your cap off to him.”

On the last out

Alexi Casilla: “I thought it was maybe off the wall or something like that.”

Torii Hunter: ”When you hit it to me, it’s caught. That’s just the way it goes. When he hit it, I had to go get it. I was going to give it my all — run myself through the wall, knock myself out, be out 5-10 days, it didn’t matter. But he was going to have a no-hitter.”

Weaver: “He put a charge in it. But Spiderman was running stuff down. I wasn’t worried at all. Torii, he is who he is. He’s a nine-time Gold Glover, and I didn’t have any doubt that he was going to run that ball down.”

On where he stood when the game ended

Scioscia: “He might’ve been able to go two more innings with the way he felt and with the way he set things up.”

Weaver’s response to that: “I don’t know about that. I was about dead in the seventh, but was able to will the ball over the plate.”

On the thrill of the no-no

Weaver: ”To have it happen at home, where I decided to stay, and to have these fans cheer me on, going out there in the ninth, it was pretty electric. Unbelievable night.”

C.J. Wilson: “This is the best pitching performance I’ve ever seen.”

Kendrick: “It’s phenomenal, man, I’m so happy to be a part of this. I’ve been playing with Weaver since he signed with the organization, and to be able to see him progress as a player and as a pitcher and become our ace guy, and be a bulldog on the mound, that’s what we need day in and day out. Hopefully that leads up to some more no-hitters.”

Dave Weaver, Jered’s father: “We just hugged the hell out of each other and said we loved each other. He was just so excited, so jubilant. It was a dream come true for him and for all of us.”

Stories & videos

Dream Weaver: Jered gets his no-no
Weaver’s night a family affair
Surprised? Mates knew this day was coming
MLB Notebook: Weaver a part of Halos lore
Angels’ 10th no-hitter comes 50 years after first
No-no could jumpstart Angels
Twins tip their cap to Weaver
Dave Weaver on his son
A blend of reax on the no-no
A look at the no-no

Game 25: Twins-Angels …

Twins (6-17)

Denard Span, CF
Alexi Casilla, 2B
Joe Mauer, DH
Josh Willingham, LF
Ryan Doumit, C
Chris Parmelee, 1B
Trevor Plouffe, 3B
Clete Thomas, RF
Jamey Carroll, SS

Pitching: RH Liam Hendriks (0-1, 6.89 ERA)

Angels (9-15)

Erick Aybar, SS
Vernon Wells, LF
Albert Pujols, 1B
Kendrys Morales, DH
Torii Hunter, RF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Mark Trumbo, 3B
Chris Iannetta, C
Peter Bourjos, CF

Pitching: RH Jered Weaver (3-0, 2.02 ERA)

Some pregame notes …

  • Not the ideal lineup in terms of on-base percentage in front of Pujols today. Aybar and Wells have a combined (meaning, adding the two numbers up) OBP of .486. Pretty good for one player. Not so much for two. For Wells, it’s his first start in the 2-hole since 2007. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he’s trying to get more power at the top, saying: “We’re kind of going caveman on this lineup, just trying to go big.”
  • Scioscia, on the confidence of winning back-to-back wins: “There was a little bit of frustration to our start, but that points to a team with confidence because I don’t think you’d have any frustration if you weren’t confident. But these guys know they can play better. It’s good to get a couple of wins, and hopefully we can carry that momentum moving forward.
  • Mike Trout ran a 3.53 from home to first base on a bunt single yesterday. Scioscia and third-base coach Dino Ebel each said that’s the fastest they’ve ever seen.
  • Bobby Cassevah, activated off the DL and optioned to Salt Lake recently, has given up five runs in nine Minor League innings, good for a 5.00 ERA, including three runs in Triple-A on April 21. Asked if Cassevah is close to rejoining the Angels, Scioscia said: “I think his game is close. We’ll see how things pans out, but I think his game is more in line with what we saw when he was up here. He had a ways to go. He was really set back and it takes guys time to work their way back into their stuff and their command and everything.”

Some Angels links from Tuesday …

Some AL West links …

And former Dolphins, and prominent Chargers, linebacker Junior Seau died today. Tragic news.

– Alden

Game 23: Twins-Angels …

The first of a battle between two struggling teams. One (the Angels) can’t hit, the other (the Twins) can’t pitch …

Twins (6-15)

Denard Span, CF
Jamey Carroll, SS
Josh Willingham, LF
Justin Morneau, DH
Danny Valencia, 3B
Ryan Doumit, C
Trevor Plouffe, RF
Chris Parmelee, 1B
Alexi Casilla, 2B

Pitching: RH Nick Blackburn (0-2, 7.53 ERA)

Angels (7-15)

Mike Trout, CF
Maicer Izturis, 3B
Albert Pujols, 1B
Kendrys Morales, DH
Torii Hunter, RF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Vernon Wells, LF
Erick Aybar, SS
Chris Iannetta, C

Pitching: LH C.J. Wilson (2-2, 2.42 ERA)

Some pregame notes …

  • Jorge Cantu opted out of his Minor League deal and became a free agent.
  • This is the first game Kendrick has started out of the leadoff spot. He’s 4-for-24 in his last seven games.
  • The Angels held a hitters’ meeting pregame, after a six-game road trip that saw them go 1-5 and muster only nine runs. Mike Scioscia said he was mostly trying to relax his players. “I think the important thing for us is to keep this environment positive, keep the guys working towards a goal of not trying to do too much. Less is more, for sure, and we need these guys to just play their game, not try to be superhuman.”
  • Scioscia on Pujols: “The solution is for him to get comfortable in the batter’s box, and once he does, a lot of that other stuff will evaporate, in terms of learning the league and different ballparks and things like that. He’s too good a hitter not to figure this out.”
  • And Scioscia on Trout: “We expect Mike to come in and bring his talent on the Major Leauge field and do what he can do to his capabilities. If he does that, he’ll eventually be that dynamic player, but it doesn’t necessarily have to happen this week or next week or right now. His at-bats in Cleveland were good, he’s a very confident kid. He’s not a finished product, but he’s ready for the challenge. His makeup is off the charts, so I don’t think you’re going to see any blows to his confidence that are going to set him back.”

Some links from Sunday …

Some AL West links …

And the Heat took a 2-0 series lead over the Knicks. Lookin’ good.

– Alden

7-15, & the numbers that come with it …

Hint: They’re not pretty.

The Angels (and their $155 million payroll) head into the opener of a seven-game homestand, the first of a three-game series against the Twins and the finale of an ugly April with the fourth-worst record in the Major Leagues and a nine-game deficit of the Rangers in the American League West, where they also trail the Mariners and Athletics each by 5 1/2 games — two teams whose combined payrolls are $137 million.

They went 1-5 in their recent road trip through St. Petersburg, Fla., and Cleveland, have dropped six of their last seven overall, have tied the worst record in franchise history to start a season (also in 1976) and will finish April having won back-to-back games only once. They haven’t done that in any single month since July 1998, and only three other times in their history, according to Stats LLC. They dropped six of their first seven series, with four of those losses coming against teams that finished no better than 15 games out of first place last season (the Royals, Twins, Athletics and Indians).

The rotation, at least, has begun to improve the way we would’ve all expected, posting a 2.62 ERA in the club’s last 13 games while going at least six innings in 12 of those. But the bullpen can’t hold any leads and the offense can’t score any numbers. Yeah, it’s still only April (barely), but the Angels have the look of a team that isn’t taking these early struggles lightly. They’ve released Bobby Abreu, called up Mike Trout, designated Rich Thompson for assignment, called up David Carpenter and replaced (at least temporarily) Jordan Walden with Scott Downs in the ninth inning.

The numbers (warning: some of this material may not be suitable for younger readers) …

  • 0: That, of course, is the amount of home runs Albert Pujols has hit through his first 88 at-bats of the season, by far his longest stretch to start any campaign. He averaged 14.2 at-bats per home runs through his 11 seasons in St. Louis, and his career-high at-bat streak in one season is 105, done April 24 to May 22 of last year.
  • 0: That’s the amount of multi-hit games Pujols has had since his three-double game of April 19. That’s a stretch of nine games, which saw him post a career-high streak of five consecutive starts without a hit and see his slash line drop from .296/.333/.426 to, now, .216/.266/.295.
  • 10: The combined number of walks and RBIs for Pujols through his first 22 games (four RBIs, six walks), which is three less than the amount of strikeouts (13).
  • 40.3: The percentage of pitches out of the strike zone that Pujols has swung at so far, which would easily represent a career high, according to FanGraphs.com. Prior to last year (31.8 percent), Pujols had never swung at more than 30 percent of pitches out of the zone in any given season. He’s batting .204 with two strikes and, perhaps more worrisome, 21 of his 94 plate appearances (or, 22.3 percent) have begun with an 0-2 count — perhaps a sign that he’s still feeling out all the new pitchers he’s facing, which brings us to …
  • 14: The amount of starting pitchers Pujols faced for the first time this season (out of 22). Not an excuse, but probably part of the reason for his struggles — and those of the offense in general.
  • 9: That’s the amount of runs the Angels scored in their just-completed road trip, which saw them average just over five hits per game and go a combined 4-for-30 with runners in scoring position.
  • 4: The amount of times the Angels have been shutout.
  • 1-12: The Angels’ record when scoring three runs or less.
  • 23: The exact number of teams that are ahead of the Angels in terms of: runs per game (3.45), OPS (.642), slugging percentage (.352) and stolen bases (10).
  • .230: The Angels’ batting average with runners in scoring position, good for 12th in the AL — ahead of only the division-rival A’s and Mariners.
  • 6: The amount of losses the relievers have compiled, which is tied with the last-place Royals for first in the Majors. (What? You thought the bullpen was safe from this?)
  • 1: The amount of save chances Walden had (within five appearances) before serving up the two-run, walk-off homer that stripped him of his job on Thursday — game No. 19.
  • 1.49: The bullpen’s WHIP, which ranks 23rd in the Majors.
  • 1.52: The bullpen’s strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is tied for second-to-last in the Majors (with a Marlins team of similar preseason hype).

Fun, right? …

– Alden

Can unfamiliarity be (at least part of) the problem? …

Many have tried to scrutinize, analyze and make some sense for why Albert Pujols is batting only .232, is homerless in his first 69 bats of a $240 million contract and is now hitless in four consecutive starts. Some have talked about the thick marine layer of Angel Stadium (guilty as charged), others have pointed to Pujols expanding his zone as part of his ever-diminishing walk rate (David Schoenfield did a nice job of that on ESPN.com), some have talked about frustrations and trying to do too much on a new team (hitting coach Mickey Hatcher indicated that to me yesterday) and many others (a lot of them residing in the Angels’ clubhouse) have simply pointed to the randomness of small sample sizes.

Most of that is fair — but none of it offers up a full explanation. Nothing can, really, because nobody — Pujols included — can really put their finger on exactly what is going on right now. All we can do is try to provide as much reasoning as possible.

In tune with that, here’s something else to consider: The inexperience Pujols has had against those he has faced.

Below is a list of the starters Pujols has gone up against through his first 17 games and the amount of plate appearances he had against each of them heading into the year (listed in no particular order) …

  • Brandon McCarthy: 0
  • David Price: 0
  • Jake Arrieta: 0
  • Nick Blackburn: 0
  • Wei-Yin Chen: 0
  • Bartolo Colon: 2
  • Luke Hochevar: 3
  • Hiroki Kuroda: 15
  • Francisco Liriano: 3
  • Brian Matusz: 0
  • Tommy Milone: 0
  • Ivan Nova: 0
  • Carl Pavano: 10
  • Tyson Ross: 0
  • Jonathan Sanchez: 11
  • Bruce Chen: 11
  • Phil Hughes: 0

So, 10 of the 17 starters he has faced so far have been first-time encounters, and only four — all former National Leaguers — were guys he came in with double-digit plate appearances against.

“I’m a guy that I don’t like to look for an excuse,” Pujols said of facing all the new blood on Tuesday night. “I don’t want to blame the league, that I’m new on the league, or that that I’m struggling. I don’t play like that, and I don’t put excuses. It’s the same game. You come here and do the same homework. Does it help if you’ve faced the guy before? Yeah, of course, but you still have to get the same preparation.

“Yes, it is a new league, but I don’t like to get caught up into that. I don’t like to look at that for an excuse the way I’m swinging or the way I feel at the plate, because to tell you the truth, I feel descent. I mean, I feel good. I’m just not that far away from breaking this thing off.”

OK, so Pujols doesn’t want to make excuses, and he shouldn’t. He’s getting paid a lot of money to produce, and he simply isn’t. That’s the bottom line. But iPad videos and scouting reports can only tell you so much about an opposing pitcher. It’s hard to duplicate the experience of actually seeing what a guy has.

And so far, Pujols hasn’t really had that in his back pocket.

“There’s a slight advantage a pitcher has when there’s no match-ups, just because a hitter hasn’t seen his release point, hasn’t seen maybe the action from a batter’s box,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “But a guy of Albert’s talent usually makes a quick study of these things, and we know he will. We know he will.”

– Alden

Game 7: Angels-Yankees …

Angels (2-4)

Erick Aybar, SS
Bobby Abreu, RF
Albert Pujols, 1B
Kendrys Morales, DH
Mark Trumbo, 3B
Vernon Wells, LF
Maicer Izturis, 2B
Chris Iannetta, C
Peter Bourjos, CF

SP: RH Ervin Santana (0-1, 7.94 ERA)

Yankees (3-3)

Derek Jeter, SS
Curtis Granderson, CF
Alex Rodriguez, 3B
Robinson Cano, 2B
Mark Teixeira, 1B
Nick Swisher, RF
Raul Ibanez, DH
Russell Martin, C
Brett Gardner, LF

SP: RH Hiroki Kuroda (0-1, 6.35 ERA)

Some notes from this morning …

  • Scott Downs (right ankle) will be avoiding a trip to the DL — at least for now. No structural or ligament damage in the ankle, but he’s day to day and my guess is he won’t pitch this weekend. He definitely won’t pitch today.
  • RHP David Carpenter was called up in order to add some depth to the bullpen, with utility man Alexi Amarista being sent down. LHP Brad Mills was here in case Downs had to go on the DL, and he’ll stick around for the weekend just in case he has a setback.
  • Jerry Dipoto said he’ll continue to search “under every rock” for bullpen help, but added: “There’s not a surplus of available, high-quality Major League relievers. We have a variety of arms in our ‘pens that we feel comfortable in. We have find the right roles for those guys.”
  • Mike Scioscia, on Trumbo’s confidence at third base: “He’s a pretty tough kid, but there’s always confidence levels in every player that you have to monitor. I think on the defensive side, Mark is confident he can make the plays, but to translate into him relaxing and using his athleticism, I think it’s going to take a couple of plays on the field that he makes and says, ‘Hey, I’m here.’”
  • Pujols addressed the NY media via a morning press conference. Asked about whether he’s thinking too much at the plate, Pujols said: ” “We’re human. I’m human. Sometimes that’s going to happen no matter how good you prepare yourself. Sometimes, we want to press a little bit and try to do too much.

Some Angels links from Thursday …

Some AL West links …

And the Heat suffered another heart-breaking road loss — this one to the Bulls in OT.

– Alden

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